Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-24
DEPARTMENT METHODS.
what the Senate Select Committee
Wants to Find Out from the Heads
Of the Departments.

The Secretary OF the Interior has issued circu.
lar to the heads OF the bureaus in the Interior De-
partment and to the chiefs of divisions in his office
stating that in order to enable him to comply with
tne request OF Senator Cockrell, the chairman OF
the senate select committee appointed "to inquire
INTO ana examine the methods OF business and
"ofK In the executive departments they will pre-
pare tne required statements and forward them tC
him as early as possible and In as uniform manner
as is practicable. The two letters Of Senator
Cockrell are appended which were written to the
Secretary on the 18th instant The first letter re-
quests "a detailed statement of the methods OF
transactng business In each division OF your Office
ana IN each division OF each bureau OF your De
partment, including one more items of the prin-
c1pal business matters transacted In each OF such
divisions, beginning with the receipt OF the bust.
ness i maIteI IN the Department, and then showing
In consecutive order the various steps taken by
each OF such business matters through the va
r1ous divisions OF your Office and the various bu-
fsaus ana DIVISIONS OF such bureaus and employees
througn whose hands the same passes, and by
whom 1t Is considered and acted upon and the ac-
ClOn thereon had and taken by each until the
same Is many disposed OF and notice therof duly
the second letter asked for SO detailed state
ment, showing the amount and character of bus1-
aeSs genaing IN eacn division OF your Office and In
each division OF each bureau OF your Department
on the 1St day OF January, 1884, and the amount
ana cnaracter OF business received. and also trans
acted and disposed OF in each division OF your
ONCE and In each division OF each bureau OF your
department during said calendar year OF 1884 and
on nand, pending and undispOsed OF, January 1,
received, and also transacted and disposed OF in
eacn DIVISION OF your Office and in each division
aend OF eaGn bureau your Department during said
caen0ar year 1885, and also on hand, pending
and undisposed of on January j, 1856:
and the amount and character of business
received, and also tranacted and disposed
each division OF each bureau of your Department
during said year 1866, and also on hand, pending
and undisposed OF on January 1, 1887; and re.
@ celved, ana aiso transacted and disposed OF, in
OF eacn bureau OF your Department during said
year 1887 up to March !, 1887, and on hand, pend
fee, and in each division OF each bureau of your
Department on said March l, 1887; and also a de-
tailed statement, showing the average amount
anu disnasG o i @ business sh performed transacted
OF your Office and in each division of each bureau
OF your Department, and the average number OF
month in said years 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887, up
to March 1, 1887; and also the maximum and
minimum amount OF business transacted and dis
posed OF by the emplOye doing the most and the
employe doing the least In each OF such divisions
during each OF said months OF said years,
and II no account has been kept OF the bust
any OF such divisions during said years or any
part or parts thereof, the reasons why such ac-
count has not been kept; and also a statement
time and attention devoted to the consideration
and transaction OF business by the employees In
each OF the said several divisions and whether in
person or by proxy during each OF the said calen-
dar years 1884, 1885, 1856, and 1887, up to March
1887 or during such parts OF said yearsor either
OF them, as such employees or any Of them may
have been receiving pay from the United States
and also the maximum and the minimum number
OF days during each OF said years and up to March
L 1887, so devoted to business by the employe in
each or said divisions, present for the greatest
number OF days, and also for the least number OF
days. II the data called for by calendar years
cannot be given as readily by calendar years as
Dy fiscal years, then substitute for the calendar
years named the fiscal years 1884, 1885, 1856, and
1887 up to March 1, 1887, and thus save as much
unnecessary labor as possible"